Page 40 of Virtue & Vengeance

10

EDEN

I WASN’T GOING to any charity event with Zander Hale.

It wasn’t going to happen.

I would spend the night locked behind bars for no reason before I caved and went anywhere with him.

Actually no.

Even worse.

Over my dead body would I be attending anything with him.

The last thing I needed was for my coworkers to find out Zander and I were whatever we were. Already I was getting a bit of special treatment and had overheard a few girls complaining. If they found out I went to a charity event with Zander instead of working my shift, I was sure there would be hell to pay.

So, no.

I definitely wasn’t going with him.

I repeated those words to myself for twenty-four hours straight. Then I repeated them again a day later when I found myself in a store purchasing a gown with the money he had left behind for me.

It was silvery blue and hugged my body like a glove. The slit down the thigh was a bit revealing, but only if I lifted my leg, which I didn’t plan on doing at all. Crystals were lining the sweetheart neckline, and a bit more lined the waist.

It was gorgeous.

The lady behind the front counter rang it up, and when she told me the total, I almost fainted as I handed over the cash. It was enough to buy myself a used car.

If I’d been smart, I would have hit a reasonable boutique instead of the expensive store Zander had suggested. I could have pocketed most of the dress money and bought myself a cheap ride. I would be far out of town before he even realized.

But I hadn’t done that, and deep inside I knew it was because Zander was holding my heart hostage in Las Vegas.

After dropping my purchase off at home, I went to work and finished my shift. Afterward, I grabbed a quick bite to eat at Sinful Sevens, the restaurant inside Empire Sevens, then I went home and got a shower.

The plan was to relax for the rest of the night, but once I heard the tap at the door, I knew there would be no relaxing. Zander coming over was becoming a new constant, and as much as I complained to him about it, I was starting to enjoy it. At least I was when he didn’t instigate an argument with me.

I waited for him to unlock the door and come inside, but when he didn’t and instead knocked again, I went to the door and pulled it open without checking to see who it was. I knew it was him. It was always him.

Opening the door without checking wasn’t the smartest move, but the fact was I was starting to think I saw things when I thought I saw Allen. It had been a while and nothing.

Allen was never a patient man. If he were in Vegas, I would have known it already. I wasn’t sure who was at Empire Sevens asking for me, but I was sure it wasn’t Allen.

Zander stood in the doorway looking back at me. His hair was disheveled as if he had, had a rough night and his jacket was tossed over his shoulder. He looked incredibly sexy, and he knew it. It was written in the cocky expression lining his handsome face.

“Oh look. It’s Zander again. Lucky me,” I said sarcastically before turning away from the door and leaving it open for him.

“You’re welcome, angel.”

He came inside and closed the door behind him. Tossing his jacket onto the countertop in the kitchen, he followed me into the living room and dropped onto the couch beside me.

He smelled amazing. Like expensive cologne and heat. I took a deep pull of his scent and almost sighed.

“Let me guess. Another night of sitting and watching reality TV?” he asked.

He wasn’t looking at me.

Instead, his eyes were glued to the TV as he reached over and filled his large hand with popcorn from my bowl.

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